Thanks to the ERFFCC for their comments and suggestions
Previously on ER.
Dave was attacked on his way home from work. As well as the physical injuries he suffered as a result, he also started having nightmares. Luka (who Dave was renting a room from) and Chris, Dave's sister, did their best to help him. Dave finally seemed to be on the mend after he was discharged from the hospital. The day afterwards, Kerry paid a visit to the house, soon after Dave, Luka and Chris had been involved in a water fight.
Luka opened the door to find Kerry standing there. Kerry raised her eyebrows at the sight of Luka standing there dripping. "Is everything all right?" she asked.
"Everything is fine," said Luka. "We just had a bit of a problem with the plumbing."
Kerry raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment farther. "I just called round to see how Dave was doing," she explained. "He seemed a little...off, when I spoke to him at the hospital."
Luka sighed, "Come in," he said, standing aside.
Kerry followed him into the living room. When they were both seated - Luka on the towel he had with him, so as not to soak the chair cushions - Kerry repeated her question. "How is Dave?"
"He is better than he was a few days ago," answered Luka, honestly. "I think that being in hospital for so long was not helping him...emotionally that is. While he was in the hospital, he could not feel as if he was making progress with his recovery. Now that he is home, things have improved."
"I'm glad to hear that," said Kerry. "I've been worried about him."
"As have I," said Luka. "But I believe that he is on the mend...emotionally as well as physically."
They were interrupted by the arrival of Dave and Chris.
Although Dave seemed to be leaning heavily on his sister, Kerry could see a twinkle in his eye that she hadn't seen for several weeks. "Dave," she said, warmly. "I hope you haven't been overdoing things."
"Not me Chief," replied Dave, with a smile. "I've been taking things easy, honest. Say, have you met my sister Chris?" he asked.
"We've met before," said Kerry, smiling at Chris.
"Yeah," said Chris, as she helped Dave collapse on the couch. "We've met."
It was the day after Dave's first nightmare, and Chris was sitting by his bedside in the ICU. Dave had woken briefly soon after Chris had arrived at the hospital, but even a small effort at conversation had tired him out and Chris had instructed him to rest.
"I grabbed a few medical journals from your room," she had said, showing him the books, still sealed inside their plastic wrappers. "It'll give me a chance to catch up with my reading."
"Sor...sorry Chris," said Dave, weakly. "Ti...tired..."
"Shh, you just rest now," said Chris reassuringly. "I came here to make sure you got better...not to have a long conversation. I'll be here when you wake up."
At the back of her mind, Chris was praying that Dave wouldn't have another nightmare. Luka and she had decided not to tell Dave how agitated he had been the day before. Knowing how close he had come to being put in restraints would not do him any good, they thought. Hopefully it had been a one-off occurrence.
Dave nodded tiredly and closed his eyes. Chris watched him until she was sure he was asleep and then opened up the journal.
Midway through an article about the use of the sternal saw in an ER situation, Chris looked up to see a red-haired woman, crutch her way into the ICU. Chris watched with interest as the woman spoke to the head nurse before making her way over to Dave's bed.
"Hello there," said Kerry. "You must be Dave's sister."
"Yes," said Chris warily. "And you are?"
"I'm Dr Weaver, Dave's boss in the ER," said Kerry, holding out her hand.
"The Chief?" said Chris with a warm smile. "I've heard all about you. Please, sit down," she said, indicating the second chair.
"I just came to see how Dave was doing today," explained Kerry as she sat down.
Chris sighed, "He's still quite weak," she said. "But I know that's only to be expected. I...I just hate to see him like this. Still, at least he's resting easier than he was yesterday." She idly rubbed her cheek where Dave had hit her during his nightmare.
Kerry frowned, "What happened yesterday?" she asked.
Chris shrugged. "He had a nightmare or something. I...I couldn't wake him properly. He didn't seem to know who I was, or where he was...Dr Corday had to give him Haldol to calm him down. She even wanted to put him in restraints," she said accusingly.
Kerry looked with concern at Dave's motionless form. "He had a nightmare...when I was with him after the operation. When he woke up, he was lucid...but he couldn't remember anything about it...except that it had scared him."
Chris bit her lip. "He remembered this one all right. Said it was about the attack...he saw their faces...the bastards who did this to him. So at least he'll be able to give the police a description." She sighed, "Not that there's much chance of them being caught...but it might help him to know that the police are looking."
"They won't have to look too far for one of them," said Kerry quietly. Chris looked at her in puzzlement. Kerry explained, "A few hours after Dave was brought in...the paramedics brought in a John Doe following a bike accident. He had massive head injuries...there was nothing we could do for him except see if he had an organ donor card. Anyway, the paramedics found his wallet in their bus...but it wasn't his wallet, it was Dave's..."
Chris's eyes widened in shock. Instinctively she glanced at Dave, as much to reassure herself that he was still there and not lying on a morticians slab. "Then it was..." her voice trailed off.
Kerry nodded. "That's what it looks like. The police believe that after he attacked Dave, he took his bike and wallet. He was hit a few blocks east of where Dave was found. And now he's downstairs in the morgue."
"Good," said Chris vehemently. "I hope he rots in hell for what he did." She looked at Kerry warily. "I hope you're not expecting me to feel sympathy for him," she said.
Kerry shook her head. "On the contrary, I won't be shedding any tears for him either. When I think of what I went through...believing it was your brother that I'd failed to save..." She sighed. "It's not an experience I'd care to repeat," she said dryly.
Chris nodded in unspoken agreement.
Dave blinked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling. Hearing the sounds of laughter, he turned his head painfully towards the source.
"And so Mom told him that as punishment for burying my 'Barbie' in the back yard, he'd have to give me his 'G.I. Joe' doll," said Chris. "So I took it, put it in a dress and brought it to school to show all his friends."
"Oh dear," said Kerry, smiling. "I'd say he wasn't too impressed."
"No he wasn't," said Dave, weakly. "Hey Chief...don't believe a word of it..."
"Shush you," said Chris, affectionately. Turning to Kerry, she said, "Next time I'm back in Chicago, I'll bring you those baby photos...I'm sure Dave's colleagues would love to see him."
"Oh God, no...not the baby photos," groaned Dave.
"Don't worry, I'll be nice...I'll only show the ones where you're dressed." To Kerry, she said, "Wearing a diaper counts as dressed for a baby, right?"
"Yeah," said Chris, as she helped Dave collapse on the couch. "We've met."
"Kerry, would you like to stay for dinner?" asked Luka, "We're having lasagne."
"Oh, I don't know," said Kerry, "I wouldn't like to intrude."
"You wouldn't be intruding," said Dave, from the couch. "C'mon Chief...it'll be good."
"Okay then," said Kerry. "I'll stay."
"Good," said Luka. "Chris, would you like to help me get it started?"
Chris looked a bit surprised, but followed Luka out to the kitchen. "Thought you preferred to cook without people getting in your way?" she said.
"I'll gladly make an exception for you," said Luka, "But I'd like to give Kerry the chance to talk to Dave alone."
"Ah, right," said Chris. "So...where do I start?"
"So how are you feeling now, Dave?" asked Kerry.
Dave shrugged, "Still get tired pretty quickly...but I'm getting better."
"And the nightmares? Are they still bothering you?"
"Not as much as before...but yeah...I'm going back to see the shrink, day after tomorrow. Hopefully that'll help."
"Time and talking about it...that's what's going to make the difference." Kerry paused before saying. "I hope you know that if you ever need someone to talk to...I'm only a phone call away."
Dave smiled. "Thanks Chief...it...it's good to know that I've got friends and family looking out for me...Thank you."
To be continued
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céindreadh
"i have never understood why it is necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care, or why it should be necessary to prove it at all"
Kerr Avon
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